Canadian Angler Wins $120,000, Entry into Forrest Wood Cup
Curtis Richardson of Belleville, Ontario, Canada, brought a 19-pound, 9-ounce five-bass limit to the scale Saturday to win the Walmart BFL All-American on Kentucky Lake and the $120,000 payday. Richardson’s three-day cumulative weight of 15 bass totaling 66-5 gave him a 3-pound, 6-ounce edge over second-place angler Jeremy Lawyer of Sarcoxie, Missouri, in the nationally-televised event which hosted the nation’s top weekend anglers.
“I’m absolutely speechless right now,” said Richardson, who also qualified for the 2015 Forrest Wood Cup – the world championship of bass fishing – via his win Saturday. “This win means a lot for my family and I, and my fishing career. I’m still trying to take it all in.”
Richardson said he secured his winning stringer by targeting a shell bed and a point littered with stumps – a pattern he’s stuck to over the three-day tournament.
“I knew those two areas had big ones. I ran to each of my three main spots before 9 a.m.,” said Richardson. “I used a silver Nichols Lures Ben Parker Magnum Spoon and was only able to get five bites, four of which I lost.
“After that I really pushed for big fish by working my way back through those spots,” continued Richardson. “During my second trip to the point, I switched to a wacky-rigged Red Bug-colored Zoom Magnum Trick Worm on a drop-shot.”
Around 10:30 a.m. Richardson said he caught three of his winning fish using the Trick Worm at his third spot.
“The drop-shot rig was the only way to get a bite,” Richardson said. “At 12:30 I returned to the point and shell bed for a third time and caught a fish at each location, including the giant 6-pounder that gave me the win.”
Richardson estimated he had around a dozen bites over the course of his final day on the water.
“I didn’t think I had anywhere close to the weight I brought in,” said Richardson. “I actually started thinking about how much prize money second place would take home on my way to the scale. I guess being in that mindset made the victory that much sweeter.”
The top 10 boaters that finished the tournament:
1st: Curtis Richardson , Belleville, Ontario, Canada, 15 bass, 66-5, $120,000 + 2015 Forrest Wood Cup entry
2nd: Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 15 bass, 62-15, $20,000 + $9,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
3rd: Billy Schroeder, Paducah, Ky., 15 bass, 62-6 , $15,000 + $8,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
4th: John Hopkins, Hendersonville, Tenn., 15 bass, 61-0, $14,000
5th: Chris Daves, Spring Grove, Va., 15 bass, 59-2, $13,000
6th: Chris Martinkovic, Hamilton, Ohio, 14 bass, 58-11, $12,000 + $5,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
7th: Bobby Padgett, LaGrange, Ga., 15 bass, 58-9, $11,000 + $4,500 Ranger Cup Bonus
8th: J.R. Henard, Rogersville, Tenn., 14 bass, 56-0, $10,000 + $4,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
9th: Jeff Johnston, Marion, Ark., 14 bass, 49-7, $9,000
10th: Zach Grounds, Fortville, Ind., 12 bass, 41-2, $8,000
Bob Burgess of Charleston, West Virginia, won the co-angler division Saturday with a three-day total of 13 bass weighing 52 pounds, 6 ounces followed by Ryan Sykes of Hamilton, Ohio, in second place with 15 bass weighing 46-15.
The top 10 co-anglers finished the tournament:
1st: Bob Burgess, Charleston, W. Va., 13 bass, 52-6, $50,000 + 2015 Forrest Wood Cup entry
2nd: Ryan Sykes, Hamilton, Ohio, 15 bass, 46-15, $15,000
3rd: Joe Eubanks, Marietta, Ga., 15 bass, 43-13, $6,000
4th: Cole Huskins, Mount Holly, N.C., 15 bass, 43-8, $5,000
5th: Will Treadwell, Buford, Ga., 12 bass, 41-7, $4,500
6th: Charles Hardin, Evansville, Ind., 13 bass, 41-0, $4,000
7th: Gant Conley, Lyons, Ga., 13 bass, 40-6, $3,500
8th:: Dennis Burdette, Lindside, W. Va., 12 bass, 38-8, $3,000
9th: Jonathan Semento, Okahumpka, Fla., 12 bass, 33-1, $2,500
10th: James Hatch, Gainesville, Fla., eight bass, 28-7, $2,000
Hosted by the Henry County Alliance, the Walmart BFL All-American featured the top 49 boaters and top 49 co-anglers from across the 24-division BFL circuit casting for the top cash prizes of up to $120,000 in the Boater Division and $60,000 in the Co-angler Division, plus an opportunity to compete for the Forrest Wood Cup Aug. 20-23 on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional championship and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American. Top anglers in the BFL can move up to the Rayovac FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
Coverage of the 2015 BFL All-American on Kentucky Lake will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) November 29 from 7 p.m.-8 p.m. EDT when Season 20 of “FLW” returns this fall. The Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
ABOUT FLW
FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2014 over the course of 229 tournaments across five tournament circuits, four of which provide an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
By: Brian Johnson, FLW
